


what is drama but life with the dull bits cut out?

by flashheart



Category: The London Life (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hollywood, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gift Fic, Kissing on fire escapes, M/M, Smoking, snarking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2020-07-24 00:34:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20017342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flashheart/pseuds/flashheart
Summary: 'Cigarette?''I don't smoke,' said Tony.'Good,' said Monty, lighting one. 'Nasty habit.'





	what is drama but life with the dull bits cut out?

**Author's Note:**

> i told you I'd do it
> 
> merry christmas @Liz you beautiful human being. 
> 
> a not bournewood-au where tony is still a director and monty is is his leading man. and also where jeannot and monty haven't met. ft. yet another of my characters hiding from a party on a balcony and smoking. i have an aesthetic apparently. don't think it fills any prompts buuuuuut whateverrrrr

'Dunford, eh?

Tony knew what was coming even before the man said it.

'I was sorry to hear about your brother.'

'Thanks,' he said, with a twist of his mouth that, even if it had by some miracle managed to reach his eyes, probably couldn't have even charitably been called a smile. The studio executive didn't seem to notice.

'Good man, George. Really knew his stuff, you know? Hope you're keeping that Oscar safe,' the man chortled. 'Might even have one of your own to put next to it one day, eh?'

Tony was saved from trying to work out how to even begin to reply to that by an arm dropping around his shoulders and a familiar voice in his ear. He wasn't sure he'd ever been so glad to see Rawdon Montgomery in his life -- and that included the final hour Greenland reshoots last December. 

' _There_ you are. Sorry to steal him away from you old chap,' Monty said, with a winning smile to the exec, 'but JJ wants a word and - well. You know how it is. It's JJ.'

Tony was being steered away from he conversation before he could do much more than toss a quick apology over his shoulder. The man was quickly lost amongst the other guests and it was a moment or two before Tony realised that he was being drawn _away_ from the crowds, rather than towards anyone else in them. Monty's mind worked in mysterious ways though, and it wasn't until they were turning into an empty hallway of the plush hotel that he decided to ask:

'Who wanted to--'

'Nobody,' said Monty, trying one of the doors. It was locked. 'But even _I'm_ sick of hearing people talk about your brother, so fuck only knows how you're feeling.' Another door, which opened this time. 'Aha. Fire escape. This'll do nicely.' Monty gestured for him to walk through the door. 'After you.'

Tony obeyed, feeling vaguely guilty as he cast one last glance over his shoulder. By all rights the Christmas party was for them -- the cast and crew of _Udolpho_ \-- but he'd make it up to Lizzie some other time. Monty followed him, reaching for the inside pocket of his light-blue jacket.

'Cigarette?'

'I don't smoke,' said Tony.

'Good,' said Monty, lighting one. 'Nasty habit.'

Tony snorted, but didn't say anything else as he sat himself on the metal steps. Monty stayed standing, lounging against the wall, and the next few moments passed in a comfortable quiet, the only sound above the low hum of the traffic being the gentle tapping of Monty's thumb flying across his phone screen. Tony used the time to try to collect his thoughts.

'George was...good at this stuff,' he said slowly. 'People liked him.'

A pause in the typing, before he heard the soft _click_ of Monty's phone being locked.

'People like you too,' Monty said, settling himself on the step next to Tony. 'You think I'd have walked away from a free champagne bar to sit out here with you otherwise?'

'Cheapskate. Pretty sure I saw your parents on the cover of the Times rich list.'

'Well how do you think we stay rich?' said Monty with a quick grin. Tony smiled in return but it faded just as quickly. 

'Sometimes,' he said quietly, 'it's like...it's like people are looking at me, but they're seeing him.'

'Yeah,' said Monty, taking a drag of his cigarette. 'They are.'

'Thanks...?'

Monty snorted, blowing the smoke away from them. 'Well, did you want me to lie?'

'...I don't know.'

'Look, you can kill yourself trying to impress people who aren't ever going to give a shit if you want to. I won't stop you.'

'I feel like there's an or there.'

' _Or_ , you can find other people. People like me.'

'Like you?'

'When I look at you, Tony, I see _you_. And,' he said, as a slow grin took over his face, 'you know what? The view ain't half bad.'

'...shut up Rawdon,' said Tony, knocking his knee against Monty's even as he felt the beginnings of an uncharacteristic blush creeping up his cheeks. Monty shrugged.

'I'm many things, _Anthony_ , but I'm not a liar.'

'You're an actor, Monty, you lie for a living.'

'Ah, but that means I lie when I'm _paid_. Wouldn't make you pay for it, face like yours,' said Monty. He winked.

'Oh fuck off,' said Tony, blush gone and a smile firmly in its place as he looked at the other man.

'I'm not joking,' said Monty mildly, knocking the ash off of his cigarette through the railings. 'Look at you. You're a one of a kind, Tony Dunford.' He chucked his free hand under Tony's chin with teasing good humour before his expression slipped into something else entirely, the touch turning gentle. It was a moment like something straight of one of his movies, and yet it was still somehow a surprise when Monty leaned in and kissed him. 

The kiss was fleeting, not much more than a brush of lips, but it was almost all the more shocking for it. He hadn't ever given any thought as to how Monty kissed anyone but...this wasn't it. It was soft, and chaste, neither of them words he would ever have associated with the other man. It was over in seconds and Tony couldn't do much more than blink at him, caught entirely off guard.

'What was that?'

'Whatever you want it to be. Or don't want it to be.' Monty's expression was, for once, unreadable. 'Think on it for a while,' he said, before moving to stand. He was almost back at the door before Tony found his voice. 

'You taste like an ashtray!' he called out, turning to look at Monty, who stopped in the doorway, grin back at the corner of his mouth.

'Good thing I'm planning to have an early night then. Brush my teeth and settle down to sleep. In my king size bed. Alone. In my hotel room. Which is room eight-thirteen.' He shrugged. 'Just in case you were wondering.' 

A hundred rejoinders to that flew through Tony's mind but somehow all he ended up saying was: 'that's...good to know.'

'Think about it,' Monty repeated. 'All of it.'

'Yeah,' said Tony. 'Yeah. I will.'


End file.
